Fuel-throwing vane or shovel



Patented May 3, 1927.

LOUIS 1K. GILLSON, OF WILMETTE, ILLINOIS.

,FUEL-THROWING VANE' on snovEL.

Application filed March 4; 1926. Serial No. 92,137. i

The invention relates to vanes or shovels adapted to be mounted foroscillation to project fuel into a fire-box, of the type disclosed inthe patent issued to Albert G. Elvin, No. 1,058,356, April 8, 1913.

Devices .of this character have two somewhat different functions toperform; They must scatter, broadcast, the major part of the fuel whichthey project over a wide expanse of the grate area, and must deposit asufficient amount of fuel in the rearward portion of the fire-box.

The object of the present invention is to provide for the performance ofeach of these functionswithout interference with the performance of theother.

lVhile the invention may be structurally embodied in forms differingsomewhat in detail, preferred forms of construction are hereinafterdescribed and are illustrated-in the accompanying drawings, in whichFig. 1 is a plan view ofthe improved vane or shovel;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device, showing a modified form ofconstruction; and

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the device shown'in' Fig. 3.

The improved vane or shovel comprises a blade 10, which when in serviceposition is approximately verticah This vane may be substantiallystraight or may be given such form as may best adapt it for usein thefirebox with which it is to be associated, the configuration of theblade being varied as may be found advisable in practice accordingto thelength and width of the fire-box;

This blade is provided adjacent one end with a hub 11 provided with aneye, the axis of which is substantially parallel with the face of theblade and is adapted to fit upon and'befirmly' bound to a shaft fromwhich it is given movement; In order to prevent all the fuel from beingthrown forwardly by the centrifugal action of the swinging vanes, saidvanes are provided with one or more walls extending outwardly at anangle to the plane of said vanes to form one or more compartments orpockets for retaining a portion of the fuel during the acceleratingperiod of the vane movement and to deliver it over the rear portions ofthe firebox during the final movement of the vane. These compartments orpockets open forwardly,

PATENT OFFICEQI land 2, which is by way of example only, a

shelf 12 projects forwardly from the blade 10, somewhat above its lowermargin, and a plurality of flanges or walls 13 depend from the shelf 12and are arranged transversely thereof, these flanges extendingdownwardly I approximately to the lower margin-of the blade lO.

An increment of fuel having been deposited in front of the vane orshovel whenthe latter is in its retracted position, is swept forwardlyby its advance movement. "So much of the fuel as lies above the level ofthe shelf 12 is scooped up by it, andas the vane or shovel movesforwardly'at high speed it slides along on the shelf and against thefaceof the blade, and is delivered there from by centrifugal action and isbroadcasted over the forward portions of the grate area, little or noneof it, however, reaching the rearward portion of the grate or backcorners of the fire-box. So much of the fuel as lies below the level ofthe shelf 12 is gathered in the pockets thereunder formed by the flanges13 and is held by them against projection by centrifugal force. 1

In the use of fuel projecting devices of this character in connectionwith mechanical stokers, it is the practice-to decelerate the forwardmovement of the vane or shovelas it approaches the end of its forwardstroke.

At this period of, the 'stroke'th'e vane or shovel is substantiallyparallel with the lon-' gitudinal axis of the fire-box, and when thestroke ends it will have passed beyond this parallel. The fuel containedin the pockets will be discharged therefrom by itsmomentum and scatteredalong the rearward por-* tionof the grate and into theback corner of thefire-box. It is customary-to use two of.

these projectors, as shown in the Elvin patent referred to, one of themserving the left side and the other the right side of the grate.

There is an advantage in subdividing the space below the shelf into aplurality of pockets, in that the fuel retained for delivery to therearward portion of the fire-box is thus separated into a number ofsmall increments and objectionable impacting of the mass against thetransverse flanges ..is avoided. The number of pockets, as well as theheight of the shelf, will be determined and a plurality of transverseflanges dependby the character of the fuel, particularly as to size, bythe velocity imparted to the projector on its forward stroke, and by thesize and shape of the fire-box.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, four of the flanges 13are shown, and consequently four separate pockets are provided. Thenumber may be varied as well as their location with reference to thelength of the blade.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 3 and 1, there are but twopockets shown, and instead of the uniformly straight shelf 12 there isemployed a shelf 14, which extends backwardly from the end of the vaneapproximately to one-half its length and is then inclined downwardly toits lower margin, and the forward edge of the downwardly inclinedportion may be inclined backwardly toward the blade, as plainly shown inFig. 4. In these figures the upstanding 'or body portion 15 of. the vaneis shown as straight. All of the fuel which may be encountered by thatportion of the blade which is nearer the hub than the lowest portion ofthe shelf will be carried up this incline by centrifugal force andthrown forwardly into the fire-box.

A further advantage of the improved vane or shovel is that a minimumfrictional re- 'tardation of the fuelintended to be scattered forwardlyis secured. Should the fuel be retained, by transverse ribs or flangesnot surmounted by a shelf, allof that portion of the fuel which is to bethrown forward would be retarded by its frictional; engagement with thelower portion which is retained for delivery into the back portion ofthe fire-box.

In the appended claims the device is de fined and described as inservice position.

I claim as my invention- 1. A fuel projecting Vane or shovel adaptedtobe mounted for oscillation in a horizontal path and comprising anupstanding blade, a shelf. projecting forwardly from the blade and abovethe bottom margin thereof, and a transverse flange depending from theshelf.

2. A fuel projecting vane or shovel adapted to be mounted foroscillation in ahori zontal path and comprising an upstanding blade, ashelf projecting forwardly from the blade and above the bottom marginthereof,

ing from the shelf.

3. A fuel projecting vane or shovel adapted to be mounted foroscillation in a horizontal path and comprising an upstanding blade, ashelf projecting forwardly from the blade and above the bottom marginthereof and being downwardly inclined toward the heel of the blade, anda transverse flange depending from the shelf.

4-. A fuel projecting vane or shovel adapted to be mounted foroscillation in a horizontal path and comprising a substantially straightupstanding blade, a shelf projecting forwardly from the blade and abovethe bottom n'larginthereof, and a transverse flange depending from theshelf.

5. A fuel projecting vane or shovel adaptedto be mounted for oscillationin a horizontal path and comprising an upstanding blade, and a pluralityof walls extending outwardly from the plane of said vane to formcompartments open at their front and lower sides.

6. A fuel projecting vane or shovel adapted to be mounted foroscillation in a horizontal path and comprising an upstanding blade, anda web projecting horizontally from the face of the blade for separatingportions of the area thereof.

7. A fuel projecting vane or shovel adapted to bemounted for oscillationin a horizontal path and comprising an upstanding blade, and a webprojecting vertically from the face of the blade for separating portionsof the. area thereof, said web and blade forminga pocket open at itsfront andbottom sides.

8. A fuellprojecting vane adapted to be mounted for oscillation in ahorizontalpath and comprising an upstanding blade, the upper portion ofthe face of which is horizontally unobstructed, its lower portion beingconfigured to provide a forwardly open and'upwardly coveredfuelreceiving pocket.

9. A fuel projecting vane adapted to be mounted for oscillation in ahorizontal path and comprisingan upstanding blade, the upper portion ofthe face of which ishorizontally unobstructed, its lower portion beingconfigured to provide a plurality of forwardly open and upwardly coveredfuel receiving pockets.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LOUIS K. GILLSON.

